Celebrate Wolverine’s 50th With ‘Wolverine: Madripoor Knights’
by Tony Thornley
He’s the best there is at what he does. In 2024, Marvel Comics celebrates fifty years of Wolverine, and to help kick of the celebration one of the character’s most influential creators revisits one of his most iconic stories.
Most of Wolverine’s early years as a character were centered around his mysterious past. One of the most notable stories about his past was Uncanny X-Men #268, aka Madripoor Nights. In the issue, Logan teamed with Captain America during World War II to rescue Natasha Romanova, aka the young girl who would become Black Widow, while Wolverine and Widow teamed up in the present day. It’s held up as one of the gems of Chris Claremont and Jim Lee’s time together on Uncanny X-Men.
In February, Claremont will return to that singular moment with artist Edgar Salazar to create a sequel to that legendary tale in Wolverine: Madripoor Knights. The story will follow up that story as the trio teams to return to Madripoor in a race to stop a deadly weapon.
From Marvel’s press release:
Claremont, Cap, Widow, and Wolverine—together again! When a secret weapon brings Captain America to Madripoor, the trio team-up you’ve been waiting decades for will finally come to pass as the mission brings Logan and Black Widow into a race against time, against a multitude of foes, including the Hand! You’ve been waiting for this one…and you’ll never guess where it goes!
“Hard to believe, Bub, I’ve known Logan for 50 years!” Claremont shared. “And Natasha was in the first Marvel story I ever wrote. This trip back to Madripoor reveals hidden truths about two of my favorite characters on the adventure that shaped their lives.”
Though Marvel is running rampant with nostalgia-based miniseries of late, there’s something special about this one. This absolutely feels like a celebration of Wolverine’s history, as well as Claremont’s foundational work with him. Though Claremont isn’t as strong a writer as he used to be, this is the first time in a long time one of these miniseries has been excited just from the announcement.
Check out the cover to issue #1 from artist Phillip Tan and be sure to pick the series up in February from Marvel Comics!
